LANDOWNERS
For years, rural communities in the US have confronted a myriad of economic challenges stemming from factors such as escalating input costs, climate fluctuations, extreme weather patterns, an aging population, and heightened competition from international farmers. CROP aims to empower landowners and farmers with the transition towards clean energy thereby supporting rural independence and revitalizing rural America at the grassroots level.
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Hear From A Landowner
Hear one landowner’s experience leasing their land for renewable energy.
Tom Cunningham owns 800 acres of farmland in Cloud County, Kansas. He had an opportunity to lease a 210 acres pasture to Meridian Way Wind Farms and received 3 wind turbines on this elevated ground.
Tom started farming in the 1980s on the same farm that his great grandfather had homesteaded initially followed by his grandfather and then his father. By the 1990s, Health insurance was beginning to cost close to $20,000 so reluctantly Tom had to find work in a nearby town. At one point, the farm was functionally bankrupt. It was clear to him that in order to make ends meet and save up for the family’s retirement, they would have to rent out a section of the land. This is when he came about the opportunity to lease land to a wind developer. He signed up for it and couldn’t believe his luck when they finally got 3 wind turbines on their land!
Tom says, “I would say the absence of financial stress has been a real game changer for me”. The wind turbines now make up for the crop export issues that they had been facing for a while. The cheques keep coming even when there is a recession going on which is a welcome thing for any farmer! Tom doesn’t agree with people who say wind turbines clutter up the sky and the aesthetics of the landscape. “I think they are beautiful! I love them. I think it is wonderful that they can literally pick energy out of the air and turn it into electricity. The wind isn’t going to stop.” Tom says.